The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-08-03
Organized for Honesty.
An Organization In Laurens County, the
object OF which is to Promote HOE.
esty, Truth and Virtue
among the Colored
People.

ming the 18TH inst. and was we'll
attended by the members and 9TH
ers Of the neighborhood including
several white ecitizens who had
been invited to be present.
Aaron Sanders, the President of
Society called the meeting to order
and briefly stated the
w%hereupOn he introduced the Rev.
q. L. Fleming, who in corcise man
ner explained fully the object and
purpose of calling together the So
ciety at this particular time. He
said this Society was organized last
February, and had met regularly
since; had q Constitution and by
laws setting forth the object and
purposes hoped to be attained, and
outside of these was no other pre-
tentiOns or intentions.
He said this Committee had no
"Knights of Labor" or other secret
organizations injurious to Il good
and peaceful neighberhood, neither
did they desire tho introduction Of
any such. and warned all engaged
in manufacturing such methods of
strife not interfere with tho peace
full section.
The Constitution was read, pr, 4.
fixed with a preamble which fully
tot forth the rule of the Constitu-
tion, to wit: We the colored poo.
pie Reedy Fork neighborhood Sec
ing and feeling the necessity Of an
organization to guard against crime
80 prevalent among Il race do
adopt this Constitution for tho Hon
est Laboring Society.
Article first, gives the name Of
the Society, and article second says
tho object Of this Society shall be
to promote the progress of the CO.
lored race in every honest way
possible. To guard against stealing
the nonsenical effort Of sustaining
two or more women az wives, and
to guard against all improper and
immoral conduct, and to enforce
the law against the lawless and
use every effortto abolish indccency
intemperanCe, and all vices calcu-
loted to degrade and destroy our
civilization,
Capt. Shell who was present was
invited to address meeting, which
he did by telling the colored people
that he was glad to know that they
had at last begun to realize their
true condition, as we'll rs their re-
sp%onsibility to society. He said 1t
was not impossible for the colored
people to make themselves good,
honest, truthful and efficient citi-
zens, but to attain to this degree /:
would require Il monstrous revolu-
ton.
He told them that it was said
that experience teaches knowled-
sc, but asked the question, what
has the experience Of twenty two
years taught you? Have you i'm
proved Oh bettered your condition
or is it not a fact that you are poor
or to-day than ever before in your
lives, and purpose Of your meeting
to-day acknowledges your inferior
ityand want Of civilizations Yon
complain Of want Of honesty, of
Of truth, and lastly of virtue, three
OF the most essential prerequisites
to good society. He told them that
the signs of the times were hopeful,
that "withOut confession there was
no remission OF sin" and now chat
they desired to improve their con-
dition and promote their race, nc
bid them God speed and told them
that the white people Of the coun-
try would assist and sustain them
under any and all circumstances
when they deserve protection. He
told them they were tho best and
most reliable laborcr under the sun
for the use of the Southern far
mer-and he deprecated the day
when this country should be de-
prived of their services and be for
ced to seek as a substitute the re-
fuse Of foreign lands who were
only fit to corrupt and plumber, and
it will be a sorrowful day for the
South when she shall experience
such q change. He said he prefer
red a mean negro to q loathsOmc
white man, for the former could
be persuaded to labor some, whilst
the latter continually plundcred
and were ever ready to join hands
with Nihilists, Dynamiters, and
other mendacious clans. He gave
instances Of negroes who had lived
long and had been honest, truthful
and v%irtuOus, and asked if they had
ever heard of a white man speak
my evil or disrespectful Of them?
And he said such would be the
opinion towards their entire race
If it was deserving.
We wish space would allow us to
give more e his address which was
unanimously sanctioned by all
present..
Mr.. Ambrose III, Martin was cal
led upon, who In a plain, sensible
way encouraged the colorcd people
in their efforts to do good and show
cd them how it it was possible for
them to become prosperous and
happy. He admonishcd them to
be industrious and saving, and
whatever they made whether the
amount be great or small to set
apart a portion Of 1t for old age and
pinching necessities. He told them
fhnt fhnU haI a,rt to TO-.